Alvarez 5053

6 string acoustic dreadnought guitar hand built in 1976. Solid spruce top with nice tight grain. Bound rosewood fingerboard, the rosewood has a deep luster and seems to glow when viewed in light. Quality binding job and medium to small size frets. They feel nice to me. I cant tell what the back and sides are but I have heard "jacaranda" or something like that. Looks kind of like rosewood but with wider grain. The back and sides are book-matched and the back has a triangular section of highly flamed maple in the middle. Neck is mahogany with a nice "v" shape to it. Top, Back, Neck, and Headstock are all bound with multi layer striped binding. Large inlays on the fingerboard. Pearl inlay on headstock, and a nice rosette ring done in greenish abalone. Tuners are not the smoothest, but they do hold tune well. Attractive design overall and the wood seems to be pretty high quality. You dont see such nice rosewood on modern guitars. It has no electronics, but I prefer no sound dampening plastic plates and switches! All the features I could want in an acoustic, plus 32 some years of aging, which cant be built in to a new guitar for any price!

I play with a pick or fingers depending on mood. It has a very full sound and retains good definition between notes when playing a chord. You can really hear the different voices intermingling. It is very responsive to dynamics and different types of attack. It projects well, although the overall volume is not as loud as some other acoustics i have played. Good mid-range, treble is a bit low in the mix, but not overly so, nice round bass sound.

It has an adjustable bridge, and I think it may sound better with a solid type of bridge.

I bought this guitar used, and its 32 years old, so Im not sure how it was when it was new. It does play well now however. The nut is cut well and the bridge is adjustable for whatever action suits your preference. The frets are still holding strong and the bound neck feels very comfortable on your hand. The book matching of the grain is very nice. Some of the inlay cavities were cut slightly larger than the pearl inlay, but the gap is filled in with epoxy or something, its not noticeable while playing but also not as nice as a really expensive guitar. My rating reflects the condition in which I received it.

Like I said, its 32 years old and counting. I cant see any problems coming up. I would play it live without hesitation. No separation in any wood or binding after all this time so I deem it pretty solid.

I have never had occasion to deal with Alvarez customer support. I doubt they would have much to say since the guitar is as old as it is, but I have heard pretty good things about their company in general in terms of customer support. No opinion on my part however.

This guitar sounds great, plays comfortably, and seems like it will last another 30 years. The wood is all high quality and I really like the feel of the bound neck with the slight v shape. I have never seen another one like this either in person or on Ebay. I think its a somewhat rare model. It was produced back when Alvarez guitars were built by hand, and it shows! Never underestimate the beneficial effects of aging regarding acoustic instruments, as long as they are properly cared for they just sound better and better with age.